Chapter 76: Chapter Seventy-Seven

Bai Lang looked at the boat; this small craft was no more than two zhang long, probably only enough to hold a boatman plus two or three passengers, likely just a fishing boat. At the moment the boat was about to collide, Bai Lang retreated a few steps backward, saying, "If there's gunpowder, an explosion would be troublesome." Bai Lang never thought that heroes of the jianghu could fail to obtain gunpowder; nowadays, as long as one has money, stealing gunpowder from the armory is no problem.

However, if they were to use the gunpowder from the armory...... those daring enough to use it would indeed need considerable courage—the quality of the armory's gunpowder is anyone's guess, and, as Bai Lang suspected, most of it is damp or even mixed with mud. By contrast, buying gunpowder from the Tatars would probably be more reliable...... Bai Lang watched the boat below—unsurprisingly, when the small craft struck the official vessel, it did not bounce off, because an iron hook on the bow held fast upon impact.

Then, unsurprisingly, the small boat caught fire, the flames spreading quickly. Bai Lang snorted, "Indeed it's gunpowder, but this isn't explosive. Do they think they can assassinate me with this? Are their minds that simple?" He shouted down to the people below, "Bring over an iron rod!" Having said that, he flipped from the second floor and jumped down to the first. Bai Lang caught the iron rod, thrust it hard from the side, and forcibly broke the burning boat, though the aft side of the official ship's hull had already caught fire.

Thus the crew hurriedly used buckets and pumps to draw river water to extinguish the fire, while Bai Lang stood aside with his arms folded. As he watched, the pair of flame-like arched eyebrows twitched slightly, and a smile appeared at the corner of his mouth. The next instant he turned sharply and seized the incoming blade with one hand, saying, "I've been waiting for you......" Bai Lang's voice was not loud; it even carried a low, rumbling purr, like a great cat.

The power of the Thirteen Tai Bao Golden Bell Shield gathered in his palm; even the bandaged palm showed no tear in the wrappings, and the blade's tip could not pierce it—this should not have been the case, but now it seems Bai Lang has truly made a breakthrough, his body faintly emitting gangqi outward. In fact he could already do a little: when he activated the divine art, his clothes would billow—yet back then the inflated clothing would leak force, and a sharp blade slicing through would still tear it. And now......

The one who tried to stab Bai Lang with a knife was a young woman. Bai Lang blinked and said, "I remember you, dressed as a man...... What is your relation to the Huashan sect's 'little junior brother'?" Bai Lang had already learned from Qin Wujiu that this Yuan General was actually his junior grand-disciple, the youngest disciple of his master's senior brother, and the merchant and middle-aged man he had slain were likewise disciples of that same senior brother. Qin Wujiu sighed repeatedly; it seemed his feelings toward the Huashan people were not completely severed.

Bai Lang was no one to cherish fragrance and pity jade; would someone who tried to kill him be spared just because she was a beauty? Bai Lang certainly did not see himself as a sycophant. He snorted coldly, and the twisting force of his grip turned the knife into a twisted mess like a braid—of course the woman's tiger's mouth split open. In the next moment he was about to crush her skull, but he did not, for a sword flash—like a raging torrent—appeared.

"Excellent swordsmanship......" Bai Lang withdrew his hand and unleashed a palm strike; its power was vast and overbearing, while he covered his retreat by stepping back a few paces. Before him stood an old man, ramrod straight, with white beard and white hair, holding a long sword that radiated blinding swordlight—not because the sword itself was a treasure, but because the old man's internal force had transformed into sword qi, turning this ordinary long sword into a divine weapon.

Bai Lang's expression remained grave. "Excellent swordsmanship!" he repeated, then said, "The current head of the Huashan sect......" he continued, "Have you come to avenge your disciple? Too bad—perhaps the Huashan sect will be struck from the records!" Bai Lang regarded the old man before him with danger—at least in Qin Wujiu's popular jianghu lectures, this Huashan sect leader might be the strongest martial artist of the age. Of course Bai Lang did not point out the error in that claim, asking, "Aren't you yourself called the number one expert of Huashan?"

That is probably indeed the case, for Bai Lan has never actually crossed hands with Master Qin. Yet Master Qin gave him a feeling of warm smoothness like jade, not the sharpness of this old man before him. "The Huashan Primordial Skill? Master Qin's cultivation is likely a notch deeper......" he murmured, while the old man merely replied, "My disciple was killed by you; today is the day of vengeance!"

At that moment another woman appeared, she flicked the female assassin aside and hurriedly retreated with her; of course her gaze toward Bai Lang remained filled with utmost hatred. Then a third woman emerged, a middle-aged woman who, upon seeing Bai Lang, lunged to fight to the death. However the old man gave a soft shout, "Take the others and leave! Do not linger, do not seek revenge—at least not for now!"

Bai Lang did not stop their departure; he stood with arms crossed, calmly watching as the women lowered the small boat, saying, "There's no need to detain them—if you don't wish to die, then know that these women's martial arts are not insignificant." He told those on the official ship, and gestured to Cao Gonggong not to interfere as well. Cao Gonggong looked at the old man and also gave a wry smile, "The Huashan sect leader right before us...... well, letting them go is fine."

Cao Gonggong appeared unwilling to join Bai Lang in flanking the Huashan sect leader, and Bai Lang expressed full understanding of that—Cao Gonggong is delicate and noble, his position already high; having him fight to the death for the emperor is acceptable, but having him kill for Bai Lang is another matter. Besides, Bai Lang didn't need Cao Gonggong's help anyway; he lowered his arms, stretched a bit, and walked straight toward the old man.

His steps were light and soundless yet brimming with force; as he moved, visible tremors ran through Bai Lang's muscles, his gaze fixed on the Huashan sect leader like a massive cat. In an instant he suddenly halted, his body slightly lowered. The next moment he exploded from stillness into thunder, lunging like lightning at the old man before him, bringing with him a stench of blood and boundless killing intent.

Embrace the Unity, Guard the One—sincere heart, tranquil mind. The old man raised his sword to the heavens, then with a middle-level straight thrust he stabbed straight at Bai Lang. This sword hissed, and on its blade appeared three cun three fen of glowing sword qi, carrying an unstoppable momentum as it pierced toward Bai Lang, who had transformed into a pouncing tiger. A tiger's roar rang out; Bai Lang followed the momentum and unleashed a palm, then another, covering the short two-zhang distance in the blink of an eye—he discharged three lightning‑fast palms, their force stacking with a strange wail to meet that sword.